Proposal to divert money to Arkansas highways advancesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A plan to eventually divert more than a half-billion dollars in tax revenue coming from auto sales and other car-related items to Arkansas' highways advanced to a House vote Thursday, raising objections from Gov. Asa Hutchinson and advocacy groups who say the move would threaten other state needs. The House Public Transportation Committee endorsed the proposal, which would gradually divert the money from the state's general ...

House supports repeal of fluoridation requirementLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas water providers could opt-out of providing cavity-fighting fluoride under a bill passed by the state House. Members voted 60-34 Thursday and sent to the Senate a bill to roll back a 2011 law requiring municipalities, rural water systems and other providers that serve more than 5,000 residents to put fluoride in the water supply. The state Department of Health and Arkansas Children's Hospital oppose the bill. Opponen...

Senate gives final OK to computer science classesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Senate has given final approval to a bill that would direct all high schools in the state to offer a class in computer science. The bill passed on a 32-0 vote Thursday and gives Gov. Asa Hutchinson another legislative victory. He had promoted high school computer science courses since early in his gubernatorial campaign last year. Hutchinson said he was pleased and that he was hopeful Arkansas would be a nationa...

Lawsuit that claimed excessive force by police dismissedLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that alleging four policemen, including former Little Rock police officer Josh Hastings, used excessive force while conducting an arrest. Cedric McSwain's claimed that Hastings, Sherwood police officer Kevin Webb, and Arkansas State Police Troopers Hunter Glover and Brad Lann beat him when he was walking home from a birthday party. He also said the officers conspired to arrest him even...

Russellville City Council tells engineer to move forward on O Street designThe Russellville City Council instructed Public Works Director and City Engineer Kurt Jones move forward with surveying work and a final design of the O Street project during Thursday’s meeting at City Hall. Jones presented updated designs to aldermen during the Finance Committee meeting that showed the complete-street project going to the Reasoner-Parker Road intersection. The council reviewed a design during its Feb. 10 Finance Committee tha...

Lawyers to judge: Allow Arkansas gay marriages to resumeLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Lawyers for gay couples challenging Arkansas' voter-approved same-sex marriage ban told a federal judge Wednesday she should allow such nuptials to resume in the state. Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions not to delay similar cases from other states, the Arkansas lawyers told Judge Kristine Baker that couples are suffering continuing harm by not being allowed to marry. They said that after a ruling against anti-gay-ma...

House panel supports disbanding lottery commissionLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers are ready to scratch the lottery commission from the list of state decision makers. A bill to shift responsibility for Arkansas' struggling lottery from the independent nine-member commission to a governor appointee cleared a committee Wednesday. No member of the House Rules Committee voted against the measure and no one spoke against it. If the bill becomes law, the state Department of Finance and Adminis...

Hutchinson outlines $33M plan to ease prison overcrowdingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday proposed tapping more than $33 million in state reserve funds to ease a backlog of state inmates at county jails by opening new prison space, hiring additional parole officers and expanding alternative sentencing programs. The Republican governor said the plan would open 790 new beds, including 288 at a county jail Arkansas would contract with in neighboring Texas, for the more than ...

House endorses African-style hair braiding billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas House members have supported a bill to exempt African-style hair braiders from the state's cosmetology laws and end a federal court lawsuit against the state. Lawmakers voted 86-3 on Wednesday in support of the change. People who braid and weave hair are currently held to the same standards as those who cut or process it with chemicals. Braiders say required cosmetology courses don't cover their craft and can cost u...

Proposal to end life without parole for juveniles tabledLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A proposal to end life without parole sentences for juveniles stalled before a legislative panel on Tuesday after facing heavy opposition from the state's prosecutors. The House Judiciary Committee tabled the proposal to amend Arkansas' sentencing laws to eliminate life without parole sentences for offenders who were younger than 18 when they committed their crimes. The legislation would apply retroactively to dozens of pris...

House supports shielding utility customer recordsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas House members have given final approval to a measure to provide municipal power companies greater exemptions from public records requests. Lawmakers voted 90-0 Tuesday to protect cities from certain requests made under the state Freedom of Information Act. Any member of the public can currently request a customer's usage or personal information. Details about a power company's infrastructure are also open record. Pr...

Lawmaker calls for moving up Arkansas presidential primaryLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker is proposing moving the state's presidential primary from May to March as part of an effort to create a regional nominating contest among several Southern states. Republican Sen. Gary Stubblefield of Branch filed legislation Tuesday that would move the state's presidential primary in 2016 from May 17 to March 1. Several states have proposed moving their nominating contests to that day and create what the...

House rejects school district formation billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A proposal to relax restrictions on creating new Arkansas school districts narrowly failed in the House. Lawmakers voted 49-25 on Tuesday to reject a proposal to lower the amount of students an upstart district needs to splinter from an existing one. The measure fell two votes shy of being approved. Republican Rep. Mark Lowery of Maumelle wants to lessen the requirement to 2,500 students. He said the move would allow Maumell...

Couples ask Arkansas court to allow gay marriages to resumeLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Couples challenging Arkansas' gay marriage ban asked the state's highest court on Tuesday to lift its stay in their lawsuit and allow clerks to resume issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Attorneys for the couples called on justices to set aside their stay of Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza's May ruling striking down a 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier state law defining marriage as between a man ...

State's top lawyer applauds immigration rulingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is praising a ruling by a Texas judge that temporarily blocks President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said in a statement Tuesday will reign in what she said is a president who is attempting to bypass Congress. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen's decision late Monday puts on hold Obama's orders that could spare from deportation as man...

House panel OKs rollback on fluoride requirementLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas House committee on Tuesday endorsed a proposal to let water suppliers opt out of a statewide fluoridation requirement, siding with the bill sponsor who said such decisions should be made on the local level. The House Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor voted 11-5 on Tuesday to support the move despite pushback from the state Department of Health and the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Opponents told lawma...

Same-sex couples sue state for recognitionLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An attorney representing same-sex couples in Arkansas says her clients who received marriage licenses are "stuck in limbo" while state and federal courts consider whether gay marriage should be legal in the state. Cheryl Maples on Friday filed a civil complaint in Pulaski County Circuit Court against Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the director of the state Department of Finance and Administration. ...

House supports religion, anti-discrimination billsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas is set to become only the second state to ban cities and counties from locally expanding anti-discrimination laws under a bill approved by lawmakers on Friday. Opponents say the bill sanctions discrimination against gays and lesbians because it blocks municipalities from adopting ordinances that go beyond state's law, which doesn't protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Re...

House would require teaching of cursive writingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — All Arkansas public schools would have to teach cursive writing beginning this fall under a proposal endorsed by the House Thursday over the objection of some lawmakers who said it is no longer needed to be successful in a technology-dominated world. If the measure passes the Senate and is signed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas would join a handful of states that have forced elementary students to learn the swirling, flowin...

House panel endorses hair braiding billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — African-style hair braiders could practice without a cosmetology license in Arkansas under legislation that was unanimously endorsed Thursday by a state House committee. The legislation stems from a federal lawsuit that accuses the state of unfairly singling out braiders, who say required courses for cosmetology licenses in in Arkansas don't cover their craft and can cost up to $20,000. They currently face fines if they prac...